Basketball: Hoop time at UNT

Mean Green, Lady Eagles open up workouts today


09:01 AM CDT on Saturday, October 16, 2004


By Brett Vito / Staff Writer




North Texas men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones anticipates a pleasant change when the Mean Green open practice for the 2004-05 campaign today.

Baring an unforeseen development, UNT will have a completely healthy team.

That luxury was one the Mean Green didn’t have early on last year when Leonard Hopkins was coming back from a foot injury, Calvin Watson had a broken foot and Justin Barnett’s back was still bothering him on the first day of practice.

"We are excited to be starting practice with a full team for a change," Jones said. "It will help with our chemistry to have everyone together from Day 1."

Both the UNT men and women will conduct their first workout of the season this morning at the Super Pit.

The UNT men will begin their preseason workouts looking to integrate a few key newcomers, while the Lady Eagles will undergo a dramatic change in their lineup.

Both teams are looking to build for what could be a key season in the history of their programs. UNT is scheduled to host the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the end of the year.

The UNT men, who will host a scrimmage that is open to the public at 1 p.m. on Oct. 23, will also have the advantage of playing 15 regular season home games.

The Mean Green will build for what they hope is a long run in the tournament around Hopkins and Watson. Hopkins averaged 14.0 points a game last season when UNT finished 13-15 and was named second-team All-Sun Belt Conference. Watson played in just 17 games, but averaged 8.3 points after a late-season surge.

UNT will add point guard Isaac Hines to what should be one of the Mean Green’s strongest backcourts in years. Hines was a second-team JUCO All-American last season at Collin County Community College.

"Hines has done a good job leading just in our workouts," Jones said. "He has been impressive."

One of the key challenges UNT will face in its preseason workouts is developing consistency in the frontcourt. The Mean Green lost third-team All-Sun Belt Conference forward Shawnson Johnson and fellow forwards Michael DeGrate and Will Smith after last season.

"The question mark will be how we do inside," Jones said.

UNT will look to 6-10 junior Justin Barnett and a pair of 6-8 newcomers in Jeffrey Simpson and Quincy Williams to provide a presence in the paint. Simpson transferred to UNT from Eastern Oklahoma State College, while Williams played for Carl Albert High in Midwest City, Okla.

Simpson has a 30-inch vertical jump and long arms that could help him anchor the middle of UNT’s defense.

"I have been impressed with our new guys," Jones said. "They have done well in their workouts and our conditioning program."

The UNT women will also depend on several new players this season when the team will shuffle its lineup after finishing 11-17 last season. Erika Bobo will move to shooting guard after playing at the point in each of her first two seasons.

Junior Natalie Mireles will take on a more prominent role at point guard, while sophomore DiDi Wali has moved from shooting guard to small forward.

"I think it will help our break to have Bobo at the two because she is so fast," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "It will also help our scoring situation because it will free her from the point duties so she can look to score."

UNT lost its top three scorers from last season’s team, including forward Kim Blanton. The two-time all-conference selection averaged 11.6 points a game as a senior last season.

UNT will turn to Kelsie Edwards to help fill the void. The sophomore forward scored 212 points last year, the top total for a UNT freshman since the 1998-99 season. Edwards averaged 7.6 points a game and is UNT’s leading returning scorer.

A talented group of newcomers could also help UNT offensively. Freshman post Erica Howard averaged 22 points a game at Morrilton High and was named all state in Arkansas as a senior last season.

The Lady Eagles are hoping that their combination of veterans in new roles and talented newcomers will help the team improve on an 11-17 record.

"We are going to spend a lot of time on offense and scoring," Slinker said. "We want to find answers for where we struggled last year. I don’t think we will have to depend on one or two people to score."

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.